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THE PUBLIC FORUM
THE DRINKING MAN. One of
our readers has questioned the sin
cerity of Mr. Arthur B. Farwell be
cause he is a prefessional reformer.
Why is there always doubt in our
minds about the sincerity of a man
who receives compensation for his
work? Don't you believe that a man
who is helping society get rid of its
worst enemy and is devoting his life
to this cause is deserving of pay?
We must admit that drink has been
the cause of many a man's downfall.
Think of the misery it brings to the
innocent members of the drunkard's
family. We have never been taught
to view with pity the drunkard who
staggers through the city streets. He
is ridiculed or laughed at, seldom
helped. When a man is under drink's
control he loses all self-control. He
needs the help of others. Have you
ever seen a man get kicked out of a
saloon, a man who has probably
clothed the saloonkeeper and his
family and kept himself in rags and
his own family in want?
Drink has caused him to lose his
job. Without money he is of no ac
count to the saloonkeeper, who
throws him out. A kind-hearted man
comes along, pities the man and
helps him on his way. The crowd of
iellows within watched the good
man, not knowing when they would
feel the same boot They laugh as
they buy another drink, and tell the
keeper about the man who picked up
the bum. "Oh! that's one of those
long-nosed reformers," he says.
'mere have been various reasons
offered to keep the saloons in busi
ness. Some call the saloon the work
ingman's club. But what a price one
m..st pay to be a member in good
standing. Some men patronize the
saloon because they say it looks bet
ter than their home. The more they
patronize it the worse their homes
look.
Don't you pity the wife or the
mother of a drunkard? They are
the ones who suffer most Have you
ever witnessed the happy transfor
mation in the man's home, who has
been the victim of drink? He was a
brutal, hateful and a miserable being
when drink was his master. His wife
and children hid with fear when he
was about After the transforma
tion they call him by tender names.
It is a man's duty to rid himself of
this monster drink. The man who
helps to' get rid of drink deserves
praise, not criticism. I heartily agree
with Mr. Farwell. Our greatest bat
tle is with ourselves. It is easy to ,
fight something you hate, but awful
ly hard to fight that which we have
grown to love so dearly. H. E.
Sheck.
TRAFFIC SUGGESTIONS. There
is a great deal of subway talk lately
and it appears that from the result
of all the confusion the street rail
way interests are going to win their
point and get the subways built for
themselves to operate or under their
control. I have been a motorman
for many years here in Chicago and
my suggestions may have some
value to the readers of your paper.
In the downtown district many
things might be done that can re
lieve traffic conditions for the pres
ent. But I believe eventually we will
have to have a subway, so it might
as well be started now, but should
be kept free from all existing trans
portation company's influence. If
they have the control of it they will
simply transfer the straphanger to
the underground, which will be as
bad and worse than the present
They offer a good many excuses
for the present rotten conditions, but
if there was a conscientious effort to
better the service it could.be done.
The city government is a great deal
to blame also. For instance, during
the Xmas rush the big stores choke
the streets in their vicinity with
their customers' autos. I have
known it to take 15 minutes to
go from Randolph and Wabash to
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